


A change in circumstances

by JoAsakura



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I mean this is all implied, M/M, Maybe - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 14:30:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11969331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: Shiro can't handle being reminded he can't pilot Black anymore. He gets a job offer from an unexpected source.





	A change in circumstances

**Author's Note:**

> Look, this is hardly a fic but I've had this scene in my head for a month. I need it out.

**the castle:**

Keith froze as he rounded the corner to his quarters, to see Shiro leaning against wall. His black clothes against the white wall only served to underscore the grim look on his face. “We need to talk.”

Keith stood there for what felt like an eternity, shifting from foot to foot as he considered some possible escape routes. Shiro didn't move, and finally Keith sagged. “Come on in.” He started, feeling Shiro’s bulk follow behind him- but what was usually comforting only felt ominous as they entered the darkened room. “Look, I know you think…”

“I owe you an apology.” Shiro said softly and Keith wheeled around, blinking. A wan smile tugged at the corner of Shiro’s mouth and he sighed heavily. “I had no right, second guessing you like that in the field. Black chose you, you're the head of Voltron. Those are your calls to make.”

“Shiro, I don't want to be the head, I just. I just want everything to go back to how it was!” Keith spat. The bigger man rubbed absently at where human flesh met galra alloy and his grey eyes focused on nothing.

“Black chose you.” He repeated softly, finally looking back at Keith. “Look. This… this isn't an excuse, it's only an explanation. After everything the galra did to me…” Shiro scowled, rubbed harder at his arm then forced his hand to fall, still at his side. “Flying Black, being part of the team… it made me feel like I took some of my power back, made me feel like I could do something. Made me feel….” Shiro paced, his artificial hand spasming. “Made me feel less like a victim. And expected to die, but not… but not this, and I can't blame you. I can't blame any of you, for moving on. You have a job to do. But I…” Shiro stared resolutely at the blank wall, but his voice grew brittle, shoulders tense. “Keith, I don't have anything now, and as long as I stay, I'm going to be a liability.”

Keith had held his ground while Shiro had paced, but now he launched himself at his friend, hands tightening on Shiro’s arms. The galra metals were hard under his grasp, but warm, so much warmer than human skin. “You're the best pilot I've ever met, and you have us. You're still part of this team. I. We. We need you, we love you!”

That thin little smile returned for a brief, flickering moment. “Love doesn't fix everything. Sometimes it just makes things worse.” Shiro sighed, gently disengaging from Keith's grip. He paused, then brushed the hair out of Keith’s face, shaking his head. “And I'm a pilot with nothing to fly. I have no lion, and I can't pilot the castleship because I'm not altean, Keith. You don't really need me, and I don't want to undermine you. I won't risk your life for what I need.” Shiro took a deep, shuddering breath and pressed his forehead to Keith’s swiftly, as if he were afraid he’d lose his nerve. “I believe in you, Keith. I always have.”

He pressed a kiss there, brief and fierce, before pulling away. “I'll see you again, Paladin.”

Keith watched, dumbfounded, as Shiro pushed past him, out into the glare of the corridor, footsteps sharp and sure on the polished floors as he left without another word.

When Coran came over the coms in a panic that one of the shuttles had left, Keith jammed his face down on the bed and shouted, muffled into the pillows until the jumbled ache of emotions hollowed him out.

——

**Unilu Shopping Center, on the fringe of Galra Space:**

Shiro had expected to end up in some horrible, filthy space dive. Maybe a prison or a rebel camp. He had expected maybe to end up dead on a barren world.

He had not expected to be sitting in what amounted to a low-end intergalactic Applebee's, nursing a beer and watching the galra empire’s version of CNN- purple news anchors fussing over insurgents and new restrictions.

The bartender slid another drink over to Shiro on a coaster emblazoned with some godawful cartoon krellian and he scowled up at the enormous, lavender-furred woman. “Sorry, didn't ask for a refill.” He said, forcing his words into clipped imperial Standard.

She looked significantly at the collection of empty glasses that had built up beside him, then jerked her chin across the way. “You've got an admirer, short, pale and hairless.” She said with a wink, and Shiro looked past her.

“Rolo?” He mouthed and the bounty hunter motioned him over, dramatically patting the stool beside him as the bartender changed the channel to a ballgame of some sort.

“What the hell do you want, Rolo? And how are you even here, I would've thought Porock would have killed you.” Shiro grumbled, taking a swig.

“You know bureaucracy.” Rolo snorted. “Our call for capture got a little tangled up in some supply requisitions, so we hightailed it. Nyma wanted to do a little shopping and lets be honest, this is a shitty mall. They don't even have a cow.”

“So here you are eating shooplag poppers and drinking a beer.” Shiro snorted. “Right.”

“And here you are without a lion in sight.” Role replied, shoving a popper in his mouth. “Is it a secret mission?”

Shiro stared at him a moment, then took a popper. “Lets say I had a change of circumstances.”

The bounty hunter gagged on his snack, wheezing, “what?!?” He croaked. “You're shitting me.”

“I'm not. So if you're here to kill me or turn me over to the empire or whatever, just get it over with after I finish my drink?” Shiro sighed.

Rolo blinked then leaned in close. “I'm on the right side, man. Mostly. You were more gracious to us then I would've been in the reverse. It made an impression.” He leaned his chin on Shiro’s shoulder. “Look. This is destiny, man. You're a hell of a pilot if I recall. I could probably use a hell of a pilot if he were so inclined.”

Shiro turned his head ever so slightly, Rolo’s cheek brushing his unshaven one in a parody of intimacy. “Buy me a few more drinks and let’s negotiate.”

Rolo sat back with a grin. “Just to warn you, I'm a hell of negotiator. I can negotiate all night long.”

 

 

 


End file.
